Whenever I make Christmas pies at my in law’s house my mother-in-law thinks I’m some sort of genius. “You make your own crust?!” Yes (sometimes). And thank you. I love having a clever reputation! But in reality…the cat’s out of the bag. Pie crust is super easy to make. I’m no different than your 18th century mom.Of course there are many different ways to make pie crust. Some use cold butter, some shortening, some must be chilled, and some even use oil. If you have your own tried-and-true method I’m not here to sway you another way.

But I will say this… My mom has been making pie crust with this recipe for years.It doesn’t require any cold ingredients. It doesn’t require you to chill the dough for an hour before rolling it out. (I hate waiting for stuff.)And it never fails. Works every time!So pick your filling and let’s get started.Never Fail Pie Crust (makes 4 single crusts)

4 cups flour 1 Tbl sugar 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (non trans fat, such as Crisco or other). You can substitute butter or a mixture of both. Shortening makes the crust a bit more flaky and is easier to work with.

1 Tbl vinegar 1 egg 1/2 cup water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the shortening with a fork or cutting tool (or you could give it a whirl in your food processor for a bit).

In a separate bowl mix vinegar, egg, and water. Add it to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until moistened. Use your hands to mold into 4 equal balls. The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use.

When ready to bake a pie, flour your surface and roll the crust starting from the middle and moving out, till it’s about 2 inches larger than the size of your pie dish. Remember when working with pastries to handle it as little as possible so the gluten doesn’t become overworked and tough.

Gently roll your dough into a loose log or around your rolling pin (this is the easiest way I’ve found to transfer it into the pie pan). Lay it in the pan, unroll the crust, and gently fit it in place–don’t pull or tug on the crust. Use a knife to trim the uneven edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under on the edge of your pan. Then use your fingers to pinch the edges for a decorative finish.And you have a beautiful pie shell ready to bake!Pie shells can be baked “blind” or filled.Blind means baking the shell without anything inside of it (so you can later fill it with creams, puddings, fresh fruit, and yummy goodness). If I’m lazy, I simply poke holes in the bottom of my crust (to keep it from puffing up), toss it in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes, and then let it cool completely before filling. But sometimes one of the sides will sag a bit during baking.

So…the proper way to blind bake is to place a large piece of parchment or wax paper in the crust so it covers the bottom and sides of the pan. Then fill it with baking weights, dried beans, or rice. This holds the crust in place as it bakes.When baking a filled pie such as pumpkin, apple, pecan, or raspberry, I recommend covering the edges of your crust with long strips of aluminum foil to keep them from burning as the pie bakes. Or you can buy a handy metal crust-cover to protect the edges. Remove it during the last 5 minutes of baking so the edges will brown.And there you go. Simple pie crust. Now it’s your turn to impress the mother-in-law.

I’ll get you started with my favorite Lemon Cream and Pumpkin Pie recipes. Of course chocolate pudding with cool whip and candies on top is a simple crowd- pleaser.Happy Baking! ———————————————————– Check out the Sweets and Treats archive page HERE.

I used this recipe successfully for 3 decades but when they changed crisco (removing the transfats), the resulting pie crust was changed and not for the better. Have you noticed that? I talked with the crisco hotline and they told me i needed to alter the recipe to account for it but i can’t remember the mod.

Looks like all be using this pie crust this year for the fall ! I tend to bake more pies around that time ! Or I may just try it sometime soon bc it look really easy to make ! And here I thought I was the only one to use MC pie tins lol .. I always ask for them back ! There always good to bake with !

I am an avid reader of your blog – I just love it! Thank you for so many fun tutorials and projects!! I just HAD to tell you that I grudgingly decided to try this recipe (I felt like I already had a pretty solid pie crust recipe) but honestly, you are SO RIGHT!

This dough was so quick to make and easy to work with and, as you said, turned out GREAT! Thank you!!

This is amazing. Things that call themselves ‘never fail’ usually leave me suspicious, but as it was Dana I decided it would be ok. But really it’s awesome! I’m in England so used butter not shortening and I quartered the recipe because I have a little pie dish. But it works every time. I have always been a massive failure when it comes to pastry and always buy a case if I want it to taste nice. But not any more! This really is fool proof. Thank you Dana, again!!!

I used this recipe for the first time to make mini apple pies … The crust came out completely amazing. This time I will be attempting mini peach cobblers and I think using some butter and some shortening instead of all will give me that richer taste I am looking for.

Oh my I have been searching for the pie crust I made in home ec class a million years ago in high school and you have it. Everyone looks at me like I am an alien when I say it had vinegar and an egg. I am so excited its the best ever

This is, hands down, the best pie crust tutorial I have read. All of my adult life I have struggled to make pie crust and failed miserably. Reading through your blog and seeing the pictures have given me the courage to try again. I can bake just about anything else, but pie and pie crust have been my nemesis.

The eggs and vinegar replace some of the water, and they add stability. The vinegar evaporates in cooking and the egg adds protein which makes the crust stronger and more able to brown and make the pie crusts more stable.

Usually when I see a pie crust recipe, I look at it, and then discard it because “why would I replace my mom’s fabulous crust recipe with that?” This time, though, your mom’s crust IS my mom’s crust! 🙂 I will totally vouch for the fact that this is wonderful pie crust! (and I usually use regular white vinegar because I know its going to be in the cupboard)

I’ve been making pie crusts for a long time using chilled shortning and it’s always such a crap shoot to get the exact right amount of water so the crust isn’t too wet or too crumbly. This thanks giving I was making several pies so I tried your recipe and it is THE BEST! Thank you so much. The crust is delicious and it’s easy to make and I love it! Thank you!

All my experience with making pie crust involves icy cold water and lemon juice. I’m interested to see how this one will turn out. I wanted to add a tip from a dear lady at our church. We were sitting by each other at a Pampered Chef party discussing their products when we came to the pie shield. She told me to just take a disposable pie pan and cut the bottom (the part that would normally sit on the counter) out. Then invert it over the pie while cooking. It works like a charm!

Dear Dana! Thank you very much for sharing this method. I’ve tried many ways of making pie crust but your recipe is the best! It doesn’t take much time but results in a bunch of pastry. I’ve baked all week through 🙂 The crust is cool for any type of pie I guess: I tried it for a cheese cake and my favorite apple tart tatin. The crust is very tender, light, tasty and crispy. And your Lemon Pie is awesome! I’m happy to find your blog and become your true follower :))) I wish you all the best!

Greetings from Romania. The recipe is great! I baked 4 pies wirth delicious fillings for Christmas. Though i didn’t use enough shortening and the crust became really hard, i could barely cut it with a knife. But considering it was my first attempt at baking cakes, these pies turned out delicious. Again, thank you very much, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I have been baking pies for years, and this is by far the easiest and most time-friendly one I’ve tried (and it tastes fabulous)! Thank you for the recipe, I will share this with others. Excellent blog!

So, I completely SUCKED at making pie crusts until I came across this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it!! I was just wondering how long it can be refrigerated for? I made some yesterday (Sunday) and used 1/2 of it. Will the other 1/2 be ok in the fridge until Friday or Saturday? Or should I pop it in the freezer?

Wanted to let you know, though, I (finally) found you after searching hi and low after seeing your gorgeous images on another website, knowing they were stolen. You might want to issue a DMCA takedown on these two sites for stealing/scraping your content:

Could you please please please put your measurements in weight as well as cups. Cup size varies depending on what country you and your reader are in. I SO want to try this recipe but don’t know which cup sizes you are using. I’m in Australia and am guessing you are using American cup sizes. Thank you!! Anna x

Ahh Pinterest what would i do without you.. Love that this makes 4 so i can freeze some. How great it that for when i’m being a crazy lazy blogger who quickly needs to make something pretty to post! Love love love it.

I must tell you I love your pie crust recipe! I’m not much of a crust person and usually I end up just eating the filling, not with this crust, and the easiness of it just makes it that much better! I found you through Pinterest, so you now have a new stalker……. I mean “follower”!

I tried this recipe and was surprised it called for 1Tbls of salt unlike most recipes that only require 1 tsp of salt. I followed the directions (against my instincts though that I was over salting the dough) Sure enough, I found it tasted too salty when I was done. Next time I will cut back on the salt to only 1tsp.

Great crust. I cooked for 15 minutes because I thought ten was a little short. I am not a baker except for cookies and bread. Sorry to say that my crust was not done. It was flat and dense. I checked out a few other sites and baked the second crust at 350 for 45 minutes until crust was golden brown. Awesome!!! Flaky crust full of flavor. It was the same batch but I will admit the first one was in a 10 inch pie plate and the second was the 9 inch. I may have rolled it too thin to get it to cover. What ever the cause was, this was the bomb! It will be my go to recipe as it was as good as any crust I have eaten.

This looks great! I’m surprised! Thought I had tried all recipes I could find! Really! After years of failure, I came up with a yummy, easy to work with Crust. Two heaping cups of flour, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar. Cut in a level cup crisco till very fine with pastry cutter. I add boiling water & carefully fold. Wrap in plastic & cool in fridge Just till ready to work with, an hour or so. Makes one pie (two crust) Take half & put on parchment paper. I add more flour to roll & try not to Work with dough at this point, will make it tough. I gently add flour Roll between two pieces parchment paper. So easy! So good! In the past I tried recipes with egg, vinegar, cold water never worked For me. Love parchment paper! Lay circle on pie crust to bake, works Great!

I just made this crust today for a chicken pot pie. I mixed it in my bosch until well blended, divided into 4 balls and rolled eack ball between sheets of plastic. This was an EXCELLENT crust. Very very easy to make, very flaky and light. I did need to add a bit more flour because the dough was too wet, but that was my lack of measuring skills. Thanks for a great recipe. Will be making it again!

If your readers could read the recipe right, they could see the recipe calls for 1 Tbs of sugar not salt. I cut the salt to 1 teas. And it work out fine. Tell your reader to look more careful at the recipe before starting. Always double check.

Tried it for my Thanksgiving Pies….It’s The Best pie crust I have ever made. While I have always used shortening as in this recipe it is a much more crisper crust and holds up extremely well. I made Pumpkin and Apple Pies neither got soggy. It’s very easy to make and work with. I have never put vinegar in my crust and you don’t taste it at all. I have definitely found the crust I will use from now on.

The is the BEST pie crust EVER! i use it for everything and it always comes out perfect! I did an applie pie recipe post over on my blog using this pie crust and I’d love for you to check it out. If anyone here can give me tips and feedback too that would be great, I’m still starting out and learning.

I remember my mom having a recipe like this? I’m glad I found your recipe! I tried it, and I have to say, the crust turned out REALLY good, tho’ I think I could’ve mixed the dough a smidge more. THANK YOU!!!

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Your recipe was a life saver this weekend. I had promised to make my boyfriend pumpkin pies for his birthday dinner Saturday night. I was going to use my brother’s pie crust recipe (ex-pro pie maker, had his own company and everything) but I ran out of time. Plus I hate the whole “put it in the frig for an hour or two” thing. Patience is not one of my strong suits. I never have time to chill, marinate or let rise. Anyway, my pie crusts were FABULOUS even though I probably should have rolled them out a little thinner on the bottom. I will definitely be using this recipe from now on and I’m definitely not telling my brother.

I am so excited to try this recipe, but I was only going to make two pies. I was wondering I could freeze the other dough balls for another time, or if that would hinder me using the extra two in the future? Have you or anyone else ever tried that?

Yes. DEFINITELY! I do it all the time! It’s such a time saver (not that it takes long to make this dough, but it helps!). I let the frozen dough sit on the counter for about 30 minutes (or less? Can’t remember now :)) And then just roll it out!

Hey, the recipe looks awesome, im always scared of the cold ingredients so this seems easy. One question: I only need one pie crust as i am the only one in the house, if I quarter the recipe, what about the egg? Should I add 1 tbsp egg?

Making this for the first time, though I have used many similar recipes. Found the recipe called for a little too much butter (though this amount may work with other shortening). Next time will use 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks). I use WW pastry flour.

Also, too much water. Next time, I will cut this down to 1/4 or 1/3 cup. I mixed the egg into a half cup of water, as called for, and used as much as necessary to create a ball of dough. Used some of the rest as a wash for the crust, but still had liquid left over (I’m saving the rest for the second pie). Blueberry pie coming out of the oven!

I also make my own dough but notice that you use the whole egg, where I use just the yolk with some water. The egg white gets beaten and used to spread on the crust as a glaze. For 250g flour I use 150g butter, one egg yolk and 60ml water. I know that pastry can be baked without being in the fridge first, but being ice cold and then rolled out quickly and baked, makes the pastry much lighter.

Thanks to you my father-in-law and husband’s grandpa think I’m the best pie maker around! Because of this recipe, which ive used for the past four years, I have the old church ladies asking me about my crust! 😉 so thank you for this recipe and everything else you put on here for free! We appreciate it so much!

The best! I received this recipe back in the day from my mother in law and it is the only on I use! I use all butter though and get raves every time. Thank You for sharing such a beautiful pie crust recipe with the newer generation!

This must be a “MOM” Recipe!! (or it’s DARN CLOSE)!! My mom packed her recipes away & I normally don’t bake pies often. So, I was as happy as a pig in mud, when I saw THIS recipe!????. I left out what I felt was unnecessary, NO DISRESPECT, I do that to EVERY recipe, HOWEVER, Homemade Turkey Pot Pie could NOT have happened without YOU!! THANKS SO MUCH!!!

My mom gave me this exact recipe about 30 years ago! I used it to make pasties and sold tj for $20/dozen. I was a poor single parent! I still use this recipe for any and everything that calls for pie crust: pot pies, pies, cinnamon pinwheels, etc. This can be rolled and re-rolled and never goes dry while handling. Most peole think making pie crust is hard but it’s easy peazy especially with this one and only best crust recipe!

thank you for the recipe. I had been using this same recipe that my mom gave me. I had misplaced it, and when I thought I remembered I made it and forgot the egg Oh my, I knew something was missing. Again thank you so much. I’ve just gotten my computer and I am enjoying your site. thanks

I started making this same recipe about 45 years ago. I am known as the pie baker by friends and family. I love cooking and this is one of my favorite recipes. I found it in a Family Circle magazine, and was called Favorite pie crust. It freezes well also. I flatten each crust so it thaws better an faster.

I received this recipe in 1977 from a lady that worked in the lunch room of Dallas ISD. I have been complimented since then with having the “best” pie dough ever eaten. It’s lovely pastry. I, too, used and still use Crisco. I began to substitute half and half with butter and coconut oil and while it did work well, it wasn’t as easy to work with and wasn’t as flaky as when I used Crisco. So, I still prefer Crisco. If you never used Crisco for anything else in your diet, then you are certainly not going to die if eating this pie crust. Every bakery and every restaurant is going to use Crisco for pies and we don’t blink an eye abut ordering a piece of pie when eating out. My mom used it all of her life, as well as my grandmother and they also used it for all their frying, too, which I am not recommending. For all other oils I use coconut, olive, and avocado. Anyway, cook wisely, but for the occasional pie in your diet, use this recipe. Not a better recipe out there.

I have struggled with pie crusts all my married life.63 years I love to have pie for my husband, but now I have hit pay dirt.This crust is the BESTnever tears and it is wonderful.Try it you will be so happy. Can’t thank you enough for the recipe

I have used this recipe but about double the ingredients for 50 Years…and my mother before me. I find using lard instead of shortening makes a flakier crust. I can usually even have the bottom crust flaky…that is what I call a success!

Been making pies for fifty years thanks to my mother-in-law. The recipe is a little different. 5 cups pastry flour and pinch of salt 1 lb Crisco ( used crispy flake shortening now discontinued) 1 egg 1 tbs vinegar Beat egg and vinegar in measuring cup and add water to make one cup